Kiwa, the company authorised by the Dutch government as the sole supplier of tachograph cards, keeps the price of cards disproportionately high. Industry parties TLN, evofenedex and KNV say so. They demand Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management to intervene.
Drivers and owners of trucks are obliged to have a tachograph card. Kiwa increases the price of that card every year. "We have been indicating to the ministry since 2010 that the rates are too high," says TLN director Jan Boeve. "It cannot be explained to our members that the prices in the countries around us are much lower, while they themselves have to pay the top price."
Sharp price differences
A survey of the prices of cards in all 28 EU member states shows that they cost an average of 59 euros. In the Netherlands, Kiwa charges 100 euros for a tachograph card. "The price difference is huge," says KNV association manager Carlo Cahn. "How is it possible that the card costs 35 euros in Britain, for example, and only 10 euros in Sweden? It is incomprehensible that Kiwa charges 100 euros for the same card and that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Waterways accepts that."
Mistakes Kiwa
In 2016, Kiwa issued tachograph cards in which the passport photo was incomplete due to a production error. And delays in introducing a new application portal forced drivers to sit at home in 2017 because Kiwa could not renew their driver cards in time.
Most recently, there were problems in the delivery of the generation 2 tachograph cards that can be used in the new smart tachograph, when Kiwa could not deliver both the cards used by technicians in workshops and the cards for entrepreneurs and drivers in time. "To avoid getting into trouble, Kiwa then had to buy cards in Croatia and the UK," Boeve says. "For those cards, Kiwa again charged 100 euros, while the same cards cost 58 euros in Croatia and 35 euros in Britain."
Monopolist until 2049
Kiwa was awarded a 40-year contract in 2009, with a thorough evaluation after the first 20 years. "If the government does not break open the contract, Kiwa will remain a monopolist until 2049," the parties write. "The Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport (ILT) has the task of supervising Kiwa where the supply of tachograph cards is concerned. In case of persistent mistakes by Kiwa, the ILT can intervene. For instance, the inspectorate can put Kiwa under increased supervision and ultimately dissolve the contract. Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management is ultimately responsible for the ILT."
